Canon 550D

So you think you know how to use your Canon 550D? Like many of us, you may have a DSLR or compact system camera but tend to use only a handful of your its features. Use these camera tips to learn how to get more from your Canon 550D so you can start using your DSLR to its full potential.

There’s a lot to be said for a simple, uncluttered control system but, for immediate access to wide-ranging shooting parameters there’s never been a substitute for banks of buttons, or at least not until recently. The Quick Control screen on your Canon DSLR isn’t a brand-new development – cameras like the EOS 50D sported this feature – but it comes into its own on new Canon cameras, beginning with not-too-distant offerings like the EOS 550D, delivering a raft of essential adjustments behind the camera’s refreshingly consolidated button layout.

Compared with the older 450D, the new Q (Quick Control) button takes the place of the White Balance button on the back of the camera. Even so, you still get dedicated buttons for accessing white balance as well as ISO, exposure compensation, drive mode, and autofocus options, and for selecting various picture styles like Standard, Portrait and Landscape